I'm leaving for college in 6 days, and one of the first things I'm doing is getting myself signed up for the last whitewater kayaking trip of the year '07 through my school's Outdoor Adventures program. The trip is October 7th. I guess I'll back up a bit in my story.
I've been rafting the South Fork of the American river since I was 7. My dad used to be a commercial guide and he's been running trips for friends and family every summer since I can remember. The last few trips, he's started letting me guide one or two of the harder rapids on that river, and this summer, I guided the entire river myself.
The next time (still this past summer) I went back rafting, I decided to take our little inflatable kayak down the river instead of rafting. I had a blast! The only thing I hated was that after the first crest of the rapid, my kayak got swamped and immediately about three times harder to maneuver. I managed to only fall out once, but was still shivering uncontrolably by the time the day was over. I talked wistfully of wanting to try hardshell kayaking, but was cautioned by my dad to take classes in a pool first, learn how to right yourself when you flip and everything.
So I stopped by campus the other day to pick up my textbooks for this next quarter, and on the offchance Outdoor Adventures offered kayaking, I stopped by and asked. And they do. they offer the beginner classes in the pool, and they also take trips during the summer on the south fork of the American River. They require you take their beginner class in the pool usually, but for some reason (didn't find out), they don't require this class for their last trip on the 7th.
So I'm psyched. I'm going. But I'd also like to know, from any of you who have kayaked before, do you think I'll have any trouble picking up the rolling technique on the river? I'm very comfortable in the water: swam since I was 4, rafting since I was 7, and took an inflatable down the same river at the same water level as this trip I'm going on. Any tips you'd like to give me?
I've been rafting the South Fork of the American river since I was 7. My dad used to be a commercial guide and he's been running trips for friends and family every summer since I can remember. The last few trips, he's started letting me guide one or two of the harder rapids on that river, and this summer, I guided the entire river myself.
The next time (still this past summer) I went back rafting, I decided to take our little inflatable kayak down the river instead of rafting. I had a blast! The only thing I hated was that after the first crest of the rapid, my kayak got swamped and immediately about three times harder to maneuver. I managed to only fall out once, but was still shivering uncontrolably by the time the day was over. I talked wistfully of wanting to try hardshell kayaking, but was cautioned by my dad to take classes in a pool first, learn how to right yourself when you flip and everything.
So I stopped by campus the other day to pick up my textbooks for this next quarter, and on the offchance Outdoor Adventures offered kayaking, I stopped by and asked. And they do. they offer the beginner classes in the pool, and they also take trips during the summer on the south fork of the American River. They require you take their beginner class in the pool usually, but for some reason (didn't find out), they don't require this class for their last trip on the 7th.
So I'm psyched. I'm going. But I'd also like to know, from any of you who have kayaked before, do you think I'll have any trouble picking up the rolling technique on the river? I'm very comfortable in the water: swam since I was 4, rafting since I was 7, and took an inflatable down the same river at the same water level as this trip I'm going on. Any tips you'd like to give me?
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